The Haunted
by Aphiopsyduck
Summary: One shot: Years after Naraku's defeat, Inuyasha encouters a face from his past... Or does he?


Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o)

_Aphiopsyduck__:_ This is a one-shot. Got it, people? One-shot. No sequels, no nothing else. Just read and maybe review if you want. If not, don't sweat it. :o)

The Haunted 

Something had compelled him to come back here.

He ran into the clearing and came to an abrupt stop. 

He saw a slim figure resting on the well, staring down into its unseen bottom. He sighed and bit back a smile. _She's finally returned…_

He walked up to the girl. His mind barely registered her outfit. _She wears modest clothes now. Quite a nice change._

The figure turned. Her eyes widened and her face split into a grin. Then her shoulders slumped and she turned away from the newcomer.

He stopped, confused. _Why did she look at me that way?_

"Hello, Inukoro." He froze. 

Her shoulders shook. "Gomen, Inuyasha. I forgot that was Kouga's pet name for you." 

She turned to him again. He looked closely at her features. Long ebony hair, cream skin, chocolate eyes. _Why would she hurt me?_

"How is Kikyo-sama? Is she doing well?" He noticed how she struggled to hold back a grin.

_This is wrong._ "Who are you?"

The girl stuck out her tongue. "You're still dense." She jumped off the well and grinned. She ambled off towards the forest. Inuyasha followed her at a safe distance.

She spun around and walked backwards, facing him. Watching him, with a thoughtful look on her face and her hands clasped behind her back. "Why follow me? Shouldn't you be getting home to Kikyo-sama?"

He snarled at her. She laughed and faced forward again. He paused. _She's not afraid of me… Who is she? Naraku's been dead for years._ He looked towards her again. She had vanished.

*****

He went to the well again the next day. She was back. "Don't follow me again. My—family wouldn't like it."

He came closer this time. "Who are you?"

She jumped into the well. He rushed to the edge and saw her at the bottom, walking around. Touching everything. He sighed. _It's not her then._

"Would you recognize me if I came back years later?" She chuckled to herself. "No, of course not. You're too dense." She knelt on the bottom and skimmed her hand over the ground. She stood, wiped her hands on her clothes, made a face, and jumped out of the well.

Inuyasha fell back when she shot out of the well. "What the—"

She had grinned at him and vanished into the woods again.

*****

"Why are you doing this?"

She shrugged. "I wanted to se if it still worked."

He found her at the well again after a week. _Kikyo's mad at me, but I can't help myself._

She turned to face him. "Go back home, Inu-san. Your wife is probably upset with you."

He blushed. "She understands."

The girl made a face. "Uh-huh. Sure she does. And I'm Naraku." She jumped off the well wall and landed on one toe. She grinned at him. "You're not going to make the same mistakes from years ago because of me. Go home" She stared at the sky. "Hmm… It's going to rain tomorrow." She looked back at Inuyasha. "Don't bother coming here. I won't be back until I'm sure you won't be bothering me." She skipped down the path towards the woods.

*****

"Destroy it."

He ignored her. She smacked him. "I gave you an order. Do it."

He stubbornly shook his head. She sighed. "I should have known this would come back to haunt me." She went back to cooking.

He watched her. _Why did I choose you? I could have chosen her instead._

In his mind, he saw his true choice jumping into the well for the final time. She had turned to look at him with pity.

His head hurt. He stood.

"Going after her again?"

He stood with his back to his wife. "She used to say the same thing about you." He walked out the door.

She dropped to the ground, weeping.

*****

He jumped into the well. Nothing happened. _Idiot… Nothing happened any of the previous times either. Why should it be different now?_

He heard giggling. He looked up and saw her. "You're silly, Inu-san."

He climbed out slowly. She sat, cross-legged, on the well wall. She cocked her head at him. "We've all moved on. Inu-san. Why can't you?"

"I'm married. I have a family. I've moved on."

Her face became a blank mask. "Inuyasha, you are stuck in the past. You have to move on. Again." Her face broke into a grin. "I gotta go. My fa—mily's probably worried sick." She shot up into the night sky and vanished.

*****

He visited his old friends. Alone. "She's come back."

Miroku glanced at Sango. She gently said, "That's not possible. You know that. She's gone."

"She comes to the well almost every day. She talks to me." _She has my powers._

"Inuyasha, you should have done what Kikyo asked and destroyed that well." Sango elbowed Miroku.

"I always hoped…"

"The same thing we did, Inuyasha. That she'd at least visit. But it was not meant to be." Both friends stood. "Go back home and take care of your wife, Inuyasha."

Both friends watched Inuyasha leave. "Do you think it's really her?"

Sango shook her head. "It's wishful thinking on his part. He made his choice and she made hers. She'll never come back."

*****

He grabbed her wrist. She calmly glanced down at his hand. "Let me go."

"Not until you've explained."

She laughed. "I don' have to explain anything." The laughter died. Her face went blank. "Release me, Inuyasha, or feel my wrath."

His hold tightened. "No."

She flexed her free hand. "Don't force me to use these on you." He watched, fascinated, as claws shot in and out of her fingertips. Her lip curled back and he saw small fangs protrude out of her bottom teeth. She pushed her hair back, and he spied a pointy ear.

He shook, but didn't release her. "But, how?"

"Doesn't matter. I'd rather not use these on you."

"Please, Kagome, I'm—"

"This has gone far enough. Release her. Now."

The voice startled him and he released his hold. She rubbed her wrist and glared at the newcomer. "Hello, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"Did I not tell you to stay away from here?"

She hung her head. "Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"Go."

She glanced once at Inuyasha, grinned, and skipped down the path.

Inuyasha stared at his brother. He snarled. "Why is Kagome with you?"

Sesshoumaru's amused glance unsettled Inuyasha. "Nothing would please me more than to say you've been deceived by Kagome and me, little brother. But seeing as Kagome left ten years ago, I cannot claim that." He turned to leave.

"What about her?"

Sesshoumaru turned back to his brother. He grinned. Inuyasha took a step back.

"My daughter suffers from unexpected side effects from Tenseiga's magic. If you were still a half-demon, you'd have recognized her." He looked at him from head to toe. "You should have wished to look human, too. Maybe then Rin would have stayed away from you."

Inuyasha watched his elder brother leave. He sat next to the well and sobbed.

© 7/10/03, M.A.R.

_Aphiopsyduck:_  Liked it? Hated it? Opinions are welcome, but remember this is a one-shot. Nothing more should come out of it. Thanks for reading! :o)


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